TORFAEN is fortunate to be located in an Objective One area which has benefited many local businesses which have received financial assistance through grant aid or business support from one of the advisers in the economic development team at Torfaen council.

The council's grant schemes can help companies with a range of activities including preparing business plans, buying new machinery and marketing. The section continues to assist in the creation of new jobs through grant assistance and regularly creates between 300 and 400 new jobs each year. The substantial levels of investments throughout Torfaen, along with high levels of occupancy, demonstrate the commitment of local business to the area. This also highlights the attractiveness of Torfaen in terms of its location, workforce and industrial heritage.

For the full range of Torfaen council grants covering start-up and growth, visit www.torfaen.org

The estates team's portfolio covers a range of industrial, office and retail accommodation in Cwm-bran, Pontypool and Blaenavon.

Occupancy rates are high and new developments are becoming available soon. Victoria House, Blaenavon, is the newest development, providing high quality B1 office/ workshop space at £5.50/sq ft.

STARTING a business is a very personal decision and running one can be a bit lonely. But you don't have to do it all by yourself. Gwent has a number of organisations dedicated to supporting new entrepreneurs and preventing them from having to "reinvent the wheel" every time they a tackle a situation which is new to them. Across these pages, three organisations at the forefront of business support in Gwent explain what the can do to help Business Argus readers contemplating a business start-up or engaged in the early stages of running one.

THERE'S no real secret to business success, but finding the right support will help you to rapidly unlock the commercial potential that is within your reach.

At Venture Wales' extensive support network covering South East Wales, you'll find all the tools needed to help make your business a success.

The dedicated team have been helping entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses for over two decades.

In that time, we have helped thousands of new businesses start, grow and prosper. We were the first organisation in Wales to start a growth and a high growth programme which has been the benchmark for all subsequent programmes.

We are constantly developing new and innovative services for our clients including, for instance, our latest specialist business turnaround service.

Venture Wales is the leading business support organisation in the country. We have an unmatched record in achieving success for SMEs and entrepreneurs alike, providing assistance and advice to over 1,000 companies every year.

Our advisory team is experienced in all stages of the corporate lifecycle from start-up and growth to maturity, and is available to support your needs.

All of our senior advisers have proven track records in running their own businesses and will help you take the strain out of starting and growing your business venture.

They will also go the extra mile to help support your needs.

Through our extensive network of contacts in Wales we can offer our clients access to a comprehensive range of professional support.

Our philosophy is to work in partnership to help create business success and through our extensive relationships with all the key players in public and private sector bodies, we can put you in touch with the right people.